The word to fill in the blank: Â MILITIAS
George Washington's letter was addressed to John Hancock, who was then the President of the Second Continental Congress. Â (Yes, the John Hancock who is famous for the size of his signature on the Declaration of Independence.) Â Washington's letter advocated the importance of a regular army of trained troops, rather than dependence on militias of men called out of their regular, daily life into short-term military service. Â
In the letter, dated September 25, 1776, Washington wrote (with spellings as he used): "To place any dependance upon Militia, is, assuredly, resting upon a broken staff. Men just dragged from the tender Scenes of domestick life—unaccustomed to the din of Arms—totally unacquainted with every kind of Military skill, which being followed by a want of Confidence in themselves when opposed to Troops regularly traind—disciplined, and appointed—superior in knowledge, & superior in Arms, makes them timid, and ready to fly from their own Shadows."
Washington also added:  " To bring men to a proper degree of Subordination is not the work of a day—a Month— or even a year—and unhappily for us, and the cause we are Ingaged in, the little discipline I have been labouring to establish in the Army under my immediate Command, is in a manner done away by having such a mixture of Troops as have been called together within these few Months."
